Rainforest Cafe Abuses Reptiles!

[Jyson]

I don't see any problem with simply asking to speak with the Cafe manager/owner. Explain your concerns regarding the environment and the constant rapping on the glass by the customers. Be polite, show your concern for the animals within their display without being rude or confrontational to the staff. That's the first step I'd take.

Ditto!

[wolfy-hound]

No person "big in the herp world" is going to have any influance whatsoever on a resturant owner. The people who GO there and eat food and spend money will have influance.
Call them, and also draft some letters of complaint(polite please) and attach some caresheets(simple ones). You can only try.

[dizzy]

I actually was just at the mall on V-day and walked past rainforest cafe.

The one at our mall in Gurnee, IL. actually has a little reptile gift shop type thing across the way... They have green iguanas, veiled chaleons, ball pythons of varying sizes, some other things I'm forgetting and a lady standing at the front with a decent sized albino burmese around her neck for people to touch... The only one I saw looking really miserable was the burm. It seemed really, really unhappy about standing in a crowded mall while tons of strangers walked by, reacted to it, sometimes pet it... I did feel really bad for that snake... Other than that I didn't notice much about the set ups as we were in a hurry.. I did notice though that there were no care sheets or information at all available for customers.

Who the hell sells exotic animals in a mall?

Oh look, I'm going to impulsively buy an iguana at the mall and not know anything about how to take care of it! I'm sure it'll eat bugs or something!

I wonder if they even have a policy about age. Would they sell a ball python to a 7 y/o if he/she had the money?

Apparently though they also have a back room with like a tour or something... I hear they've got some impressive animals back there.

[SPJ]

Who the hell sells exotic animals in a mall?

LOTS of places. Go to any mall around here and you will see stores selling fish, cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, reptiles, etc.

[dizzy]

LOTS of places. Go to any mall around here and you will see stores selling fish, cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, reptiles, etc.

That's actually pretty suprising. I guess I'm nieve. I never woulda guessed.